Peanut digger



Feb-9, 1932. J. F. DvoRAK 1,844,748

PEANUT DIGGER Filed Sept. 30. 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENT'OR ATTORNEY Fell. 9, 1932. F, DVORAK 1,844,748

PEANUT BIGGER Filed Sept. 50. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. F. DVORAK PEANUT BIGGER Feb. 9, 1932.

Filed Sept. 50, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 A c E wwiww.

iwmrwwaw ATTOR NEY Patented Feb. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT ori-ice JOHN r. nvoRAK,` or PRINCE GEORGEQVIRGINIA PEANT rplatina `Appliance mea september 3o, 1929; serial No.A esame. l

Yines,iwith the peanuts thereon, to the rear l of the machine where the jaws are moved to 'releasing position so that the vines will drop on t0 a support at the rear of the frame.

`; l Another object of the invention is to proj videlmeansfor preventing the vines in the row next tothat being dug from interfering withtheoperation of the device, and also to provide means for adjusting the plow vertically to control the digging depth. `This invention also consists in certain so' other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the `accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims. i

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be `had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in Vwhich Figure 1is a top plan view of the invention. i. i

`Figure 2 is a section on line 2 2 of Figure 1. j

, Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view of the conveyor, with parts in section.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional View through a portion of the conveyor chain, showing the construction of the jaws. p

Figure 5 is a section on line 5 6 of Figure 4j i fao 1ure 3.

tion, of a portion ofthe conveyor.

.In these views, the numeral 1 indicates the Y "50 dicates a caster wheel at the front of the frame Figure isan elevation, with parts in secwhich is mounted for vertical adjustment.:

The tongue or other draft means 5 is pivoted ,for movement about a horizontalaxis to a forked member 6" which is pivoted to the front end of the frame for movement about 55 a vertical axis, the last mentioned means forminga` part of the means for connecting the wheel 4 with the frame.

A' plow 7 has its beam 8 pivoted at its forward end to a hanger'9 at the front end of 60 the frame and the crank of a shaft 10, journaled in the front part of the frame, is connected with the rear part of the beam by a link 11. An arml2 is connected with the shaft and a link 13 connects said arm with an u 65 arnr 14 connected with a hand lever 15 so that by manipulatingthe lever, the plow can be raised and lowered and thus its digging depth can be regulated.

An auxiliary `frame 16 has its rear end piv- 70 otally supported on the rear axle 2 and a link 17 connects the intermediate portion of the frame with the crank of a shaft 18 ournaled in the main frame. Alever 19 is connected with thisl shaft sothat by manipulating this 75 lever, theforward end of the frame 16 can be raised and lowered to suit the adjustment of the plow. The rear part of the frame 16l is formed with an offset part 20 which carries a diagonally arranged" stub shaft 21 having a 80 beveled gear 22 at its lower end which meshes with a similar gear 23` on the axle 2. A stub shaft 24 is journaled in the front end of the Vframe 16 and each stub shaft carries a sprocket 25which is formedwith an annular 85 groove 26 in its periphery so that the teeth carrying portion of each wheel is provided with an upperpart and a lower part. An

. endless chain 27 passes around the sprockets `and the pins 28 which connect the links 29 90 l of the chain together, carryttherollers 30 at `Figure 6 is a section on line 6--6 of Fig-- their ends, and these rollers engage the teeth of the sprockets. @ne end of each link 1s bent inwardly to fit in an end of the adjacent link,

as shown at 31, so that the outer faces of the chain are straight or flat, these inwardly bent portions having holes therein engaging bushings 32 on the pins 28. -This arrangement is clearly shown in Figure 7.

The auxiliary frame 16 isformed of two m0 parts 16 and 16 which are slidably connected and a spring 33 is placed between the two parts 16 and 16 and tends to press them away from each other so that the chain will be kept taut. The chain carries a plurality of pairs of jaw forming vine gripping elements 34 and 35, the elements being pivoted between the links, as shown at 36, and each pair of elements is formed with the intermeshing segmental gears 37, so that the movement of the element 34 will be imparted to the element 35.

This element 34 is formed with an operating arm 38 carrying a roller 39 and a spring 40 tends to hold the vine gripping element 34 against the vine gripping element 35. Each vine gripping element is of yoke shape and a curved member 4l on each element 34 extends through the element 35, for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

A substantially U-shaped member 42 is fastened to each end of the auxiliary frame 16 and extends into each sprocket 25 rand extends around the hub of each sprocket, with its outer end shaped to form an eccentrically shaped element 42 with which the rollers 39 will engage as the chain starts to pass around the sprocket. Each eccentrically shaped element, by its engagement with the rollers, will cause the vine gripping elements to open as the chain starts to pass around the sprocket, as shown in Figure 3. Thus the vine gripping elements will open at the lower or front end of the auxiliary frame, so that the vines of the peanuts will enter the space between the open vine gripping elements and then as the chain moves rearwardly` the vine gripping elements will close and grip the vines and thus the vines, with the Vpeanuts thereon, will be carried to the rear part of the device and then as the rollers are engaged by the rear eccentrically shaped element, the vine gripping elements will open so that the vines will drop on the paltform at the rear of the device which is formed Yof a plurality of spaced bars 43. The members 41 close the space at the inner ends of the open jaws and thus prevent the vines being entangled in the chain and when the vine gripping elements close on the vines, the vine gripping element 34 will press portions of the vines into the yoke-shaped aws 35 and thus firmly grip the vines.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that l have provided a plow for digging the peanuts .and conveying means, including the endless chain and the jaws, for conveying the vines with the peanuts thereon, from the plow to the rear-of the device. l

A deflector member 44 is fastened to the front part of the mainframe, adjacent one side thereof, for moving the vines of the row next to the row being dug to one side of the device, soA that these vines will not interfere with the operation of the device.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

lt is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

lllhat I claim is l. A peanut digger including a main frame having a rear axle and wheels secured thereto, a plow carried by said frame, an auxiliary frame carried by the axle and main frame and adjustable relative to the plow, an endless member carried by the auxiliary frame and driven from the axle, means to adjust the auxiliary frame to maintain the endless memer taut, vine gripping elements carried by the endless member, and means automatically actuating said gripping elements to grip the vines and release the latter rearwardly".

of the main frame.

2. A peanut digger including a main frame having a rear axle and wheels secured thereto, plow carried by said frame, an auxiliary frame carried by the axle and main frame?.

and adjustable relative to the plow, an endless member carried by the auxiliary frame and driven from the axle, pairs of vine gripping elements pivoted to the endless member,

means connecting the gripping elements of?!- oach pair to cause said elements to move in opposite directions relative to each other, and means automatically actuating said gripping elements to grip vines adjacent the plow and release the latter rearwardly of the main frame.

3. A peanut digger including a main frame having a rear axle and wheels secured thereto, a plow carried by said frame, an auxiliary frame carried by the axle and main frame;v and adjustable relative to the plow, an endless member carried by the auxiliary frame and driven from the axle, pairs of vine gripping elements pivoted to the endless member, segmental gears connecting the gripping ele-'1 ments of each pair to cause said elements to move in opposite directions relative to each other, and means to actuate said gripping elements to grip vines adjacent the plow and release the latter rearwardly of the main' frame.

4. A peanut digger including a main frame having a rear axle and wheels secured thereto, a plow carried by said frame, an auxiliary frame carried by the axle and main frame and adjustable relative to the plow, an endless member carried by the auxiliary frame and driven from the axle, pairs of vine gripping elements pivoted to the endless member,

ments of each pair towards each other, and means automatically actuating said gripping elements to grip Vines adjacent the plow and release the latter rearwardly of the main frame.

5. A peanut digger including a main frame having a rear axle and Wheels secured thereto, aplow carried by said frame, an auxiliary A frame carried by the axle and main frame and adjustable relative to the plow, an end- `less member carried by the auxiliary frame and driven from the axle, pairs of vine gripping elements pivoted to the endless member,

means connecting tlie gripping elements of each pair, an operating arm formed on one of the vine gripping elements of each pair, tension means connected to the endless memberfand to the operating arms,eccentrically shaped elements carried by the auxiliary frame adj aoent each end of the endless member, rollers carried by the operating arms to engage the'eccentrically shaped elementsto cause the Vine gripping elements to grip vines adjacent tlie plow andto release the latter rearwardly of the main frame.

In testimony whereof I ailiX my signature.

JOHN F. DVORAK. 

